FIVE STAR SAFETY. SIX STAR STYLE

Safety is part of Subaru’s heritage. We were one of the first manufacturers to crash test our vehicles, and those decades of rigour means that the Subaru range includes some of the safest cars ever made.

All Subaru SUVs (plus Impreza and Levorg) boast a maximum 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating, but we’re particularly proud of the new XV and Impreza, which were both awarded Euro NCAP’s BEST IN CLASS Safest Small Family Car of 2017. Both vehicles have the traditional rugged Subaru looks and fearless go-anywhere attitude, but they also top the sector in both active and passive safety.

Subaru’s hallmark combination of permanent Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive technology and low centre of gravity Boxer engine gives you unbeatable traction and control on and off road, in any conditions. The low mounted engine ensures that handling is balanced, stable and responsive at all times. It’s also safer - in the event of a collision, the engine slides beneath the passenger compartment, protecting the passenger’s lower limbs.

Built on the new Subaru Global Platform, both vehicles have bodies that are lighter, stiffer and stronger, providing greater passenger safety and even better handling.

Both cars are packed with additional safety features that come as standard. EyeSight driver assist technology gives you another pair of eyes on the road ahead. A high-resolution two camera system monitors the environment around you, tracking vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians and providing warnings and collision avoidance assistance where necessary.

EyeSight uses six core technologies:

Adaptive Cruise Control: the system automatically adjusts your speed to keep a set distance from the vehicle ahead. By constantly monitoring distance and speed, it controls the engine, transmission and brakes to maintain speed in line with the traffic flow.

Lead Vehicle Start Alert: in stationary traffic, if you don’t notice that vehicles in front have started to move away, a buzzer and flashing indicator will prompt you to proceed.

Lane Sway and Departure Warning: if you begin to swerve in your lane, or you begin to depart your lane without signalling, you’ll get a buzzer and a flashing indicator warning.

Lane Keep Assist: if your vehicle is about to deviate from its lane at 40mph or higher, the system will offer gentle corrective steering control.

Pre-collision Braking System: if EyeSight senses an impending collision, a buzzer and a light on the dashboard warn you. If you don’t take evasive action, the system can automatically apply the brakes and reduce engine power - either preventing the collision entirely, or reducing the severity depending on your speed. If you apply the brakes, but don’t do it hard enough, EyeSight applies more braking force to stop the vehicle.

Pre-collision Throttle Management: if EyeSight detects an obstacle in front of you when you’re parked, and you put the car in drive instead of reverse, you’ll hear several short beeps, see a flashing indicator and the engine will cut to help avoid a collision.

There is also Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection (SRVD), which provides another pair of eyes by monitoring rear blinds spots and alerting you to hazards that you may not be aware of when changing lanes or reversing into a street with passing traffic.

LED Steering Responsive Headlights track the movement of the steering wheel to ensure maximum visibility at all times. If you engage High-Beam Assist (HBA), the selection of main or dipped beam at night is controlled automatically, so you get the best visibility without dazzling oncoming traffic.

All of this safety technology comes as standard on both the new XV and Impreza. These are two beautiful cars that aren’t just being praised for adult and child occupant safety – they also scored ‘top of the class’ for pedestrian safety too. Responsible design means looking after everyone.

The latest vehicles in the Subaru range really are better where it matters. And nothing matters more than safety.